1586                             LAWS OF MARYLAND                        [CH. 727

the question of whether or not such growers and producers shall levy
upon themselves an assessment under and subject to and for the pur-
poses stated in this article. Such referendum may be conducted either
on a state-wide or area basis.

83H.

With respect to any referendum conducted under the provisions
of this article, the duly certified commission ASSOCIATION, council,
board or other agency shall, before catting and announcing such
referendum, fix, determine and publicly announce at least sixty days
before the date determined upon for such referendum, the date, hours
and polling places for the voting in such referendum, the amount and
basis of the assessment proposed to be collected, the means by which
such assessment shall be collected if authorized by the growers, and the
general purposes to which said amount so collected shall be applied;
no annual assessment levied under the provisions of this article
shall exceed one half of one per cent of the value of the year's
production of such agricultural commodity grown by any farmer,
producer or grower included in the group to which such referendum
is submitted.

83-I.

The arrangements for and management of any referendum con-
ducted under the provisions of this article shall be under the direc-
tion of the commission ASSOCIATION, council, board or other agency
duly certified and authorized to conduct the same, and any and all
expenses in connection therewith shall be borne by such commission
ASSOCIATION, council, board or agency.

83J.

Any referendum conducted under the provisions of this article
may be held either on an area or state-wide basis, as may be deter-
mined by the certified agency before such referendum is called; and
such referendum, either on an area or state-wide basis, may be
participated in by all farmers engaged in the production of such
agricultural commodity on a commercial basis, including owners of
farms on which such commodity is produced, tenants and share-
croppers. In such referendum, such individuals so eligible for par-
ticipation shall vote upon the question of whether or not there shall
be levied an annual assessment for a period of five years in the
amount set forth in the call for such referendum on the agricultural
product covered by such referendum.

83K.

If in such referendum with respect to any agricultural commodity
herein referred to more than one third of the farmers and pro-
ducers in the area in which such referendum is conducted, eligible
to participate and voting therein shall vote in the negative and
against the levying or collection of such assessment, then in such
an event no assessment shall be levied or collected.

83L.

If in such referendum called under the provisions of this article
two thirds or more of the farmers or producers in the area in